World athletics ruling body IAAF has asked the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) to consider hosting at least one of its world cross- country permits.
These permits are annual cross-country events run in different cities around the world. Currently, there are seven permits on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) calendar divided amongst different locations in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Kenya and the United Kingdom.
However, because of what the IAAF considered a successful World Cross-Country Championship (WCC) event hosted by Uganda at the Kololo ceremonial grounds on March 26, Uganda is seen as a success story. That, according to UAF boss Dominic Otucet, is the legacy set.
“It is definitely one significant achievement we must build on,” Otucet said in an interview recently.
“We were able to organise a good occasion that attracted even President Yoweri Museveni. In a handwritten letter I got from the IAAF president Sebastian Coe, he was full of appreciation for the mark we set,” Otucet added.
And that mark started from the theme along which the WCC event was set. The UAF promoted the preservation of nature, which was the green campaign for this championship.
In the process, over 2,000 trees were and are still to be planted in different schools such as Trinity College Nabbingo. Otucet said this message was also well amplified by running on the greens of Kololo ceremonial grounds, where for the first time, Uganda won a gold medal in this championship held every two years.
Until Jacob Kiplimo’s win in the junior men’s race, Uganda’s only other gold medals in IAAF events, was the Dorcus Inzikuru one in the 2007 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, and the Stephen Kiprotich gold in the 2013 edition of the same games.
Kiplimo etched his name into history, as is the fact that this year’s event had a mixed relays race added to it for the first time. However, Uganda’s disqualification from the mixed relays, after coming fourth, which would have seen them go away with $4,000 (Shs 14.3 million) in cash prizes was a huge indictment on the host’s organization.
Yet, to Otucet, it was entirely the negligence of the athletes. He said they decided to change their running order without consulting. In the end, they cost the nation, something others will now learn from.
On the other hand, Uganda’s success is projected to inspire more upcoming athletes to believe in themselves. The fans too, Otucet said, can now appreciate that Uganda has talent to be a force of reckon on the world stage.
Uganda were third overall behind Kenya and Ethiopia. But after the efforts of their athletes, the Joshua Cheptegei mishap notwithstanding, there is belief athletics in Uganda will now begin attracting more interest and spectators. That will be the multiplier effect of hosting a world event in which Uganda was competitive.
This is expected to be the watershed moment, where athletics trial events process, over 2,000 trees were and are still to be planted in different schools such as Trinity College Nabbingo.
Otucet said this message was also well amplified by running on the greens of Kololo ceremonial grounds, where for the first time, Uganda won a gold medal in this championship held every two years.
Until Jacob Kiplimo’s win in the junior men’s race, Uganda’s only other gold medals in IAAF events, was the Dorcus Inzikuru one in the 2007 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, and the Stephen Kiprotich gold in the 2013 edition of the same games.
Kiplimo etched his name into history, as is the fact that this year’s event had a mixed relays race added to it for the first time. However, Uganda’s disqualification from the mixed relays, after coming fourth, which would have seen them go away with $4,000 (Shs 14.3 million) in cash prizes was a huge indictment on the host’s organization.
Yet, to Otucet, it was entirely the negligence of the athletes. He said they decided to change their running order without consulting. In the end, they cost the nation, something others will now learn from.
On the other hand, Uganda’s success is projected to inspire more upcoming athletes to believe in themselves. The fans too, Otucet said, can now appreciate that Uganda has talent to be a force of reckon on the world stage.
Uganda were third overall behind Kenya and Ethiopia. But after the efforts of their athletes, the Joshua Cheptegei mishap notwithstanding, there is belief athletics in Uganda will now begin attracting more interest and spectators. That will be the multiplier effect of hosting a world event in which Uganda was competitive.
This is expected to be the watershed moment, where athletics trial events at Namboole and cross- country events around the country pull more crowds and sponsorships.
The government provided Shs 4.6 billion, that catered for on-and-off the track operations, including the athletes’ allowances. While this was commendable, it feeds in well with the pleas of many athletes to have more facilities like the high-performance centre in Kapchorwa completed.
This will help nurture more athletes and at the same time save them the cost of having to train in Kenya. At the same time, the WCC event is expected to trigger the UAF into action of seeking sponsorship for its domestic events.
Seeing the number of sponsors and partners IAAF has, UAF also has the potential to do that. The possibility of hosting a cross-country permit like the IAAF is suggesting to Uganda, could also create a tourism boosting legacy.
jovi@observer.ug